Introduction |
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Madrid, a great place to get a TEFL Certificate!
 Experience the best of Spain in it's lively capital city, Madrid.
Unlike Barcelona, Madrid speaks Castilian Spanish rather than Catalan, so if you also want to improve your Spanish, it's the place for you.
English is not widely spoken in Madrid, so as you can imagine, there's always plenty of room for another qualified English teacher.
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Madrid city |
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Madrid is the capital of Spain and is located almost in the dead centre of the Iberian peninsula. It is the highest European capital, sitting some 646 metres (roughly 2,200 feet) above sea level and has a population of over three million. Madrid is a fairly cosmopolitan city but still retains a very Spanish outlook on life. It is characterized by intense cultural and artistic activity and a very lively nightlife or more than often lively early morning life. The Spanish have a verb for it: "madrugar" - to stay out partying all night and get home at 7 or 8 next morning.
Madrid is certainly the place to immerse yourself in Spanish culture. Visit the Royal Palace or some of the best museums in Europe like the Prado, Reina Sofia and Thyssen Bornemizsa. If you want to sharpen your Spanish language skills then Madrid is the place as not many Madrileños speak English. Madrid, the Spanish capital, and the business and financial centre of Spain, is the best place to find TEFL jobs in Spain.
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The EBC training centre |
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All EBC courses in Madrid are given in our purpose built, air conditioned training centre right in the heart of Madrid's "mini manhattan" business district. The training centre is conveniently located within a 3 to 5 minute walk from the
Nuevos Ministerios metro stop or number 27 bus stop. Both public transport stops are on Madrid's prestigious Paseo de la Castellana.
Local area landmarks are the Santiago Bernabeu football stadium, home to Real Madrid. The Torre Picasso, the highest building in Madrid and home to many multinational companies. The BBVA (Banco Bilbao Vizcaya) tower, recognised within Spain's national architectural heritage. The Joan Miró convention centre and last but not least El Corte Inglés, the biggest department store in Spain.
There are also plenty of shops, restaurants, bars, banks (including a Citibank and Barclays), a health club, a catholic church and Madrid's Holiday Inn in the immediate area.
In addition to the teaching rooms, the centre also has a study room where you can do your course work. The centre is equipped with WIFI so, if you bring your WIFI ready PC, you can work in the study room with free internet access.
Training centre details
Address - Calle Orense 16, 2E, 28020 Madrid, Spain
Nearest metro stop - Nuevos Ministerios
Local phone number - (+34) 915 553 975
Click here to call us on our TOLL FREE phone numbers.
Click here for a map and directions.
Click here to go to the main course location page.
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Madrid staff |
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Our Madrid teaching staff and support staff have many years of TEFL experience and just as importantly Madrid experience. Our staff are native born "Madrileños" and foreigners who are permanent residents of Madrid. They have invaluable knowledge that will help you get to know Madrid from the ground up. Our TEFL trainers are also intimately familiar with the local job market and they have been invaluable in setting up, advising and implementing our Madrid job assistance programme.
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TEFL jobs in Madrid |
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Madrid and Spain are one of Europe's top travel destinations.
Average EFL teacher pay rates are between €14 to €18 per hour for academies and
€20 or more per hour for private clients.
Your earnings compared to other workers in Madrid are at the higher end.
So far, all students that have studied with EBC and then wanted to stay on and work have done so.
A realistic maximum number of hours to teach in a week is about 30.
Our success rate in getting our graduates in for EFL teaching job interviews in Madrid is
100%.
In Madrid it is extremely easy to get work if you have a recognised certificate.
- Madrid has the greatest demand for native English teachers in the whole of Spain.
- The UK and Ireland are the only countries in the European Union (EU) where English is the mother tongue. There aren't enough native English teachers in Spain, which is why 60% of the people that take our course are NOT from the EU.
- 95% of language schools in Madrid don't care if a prospective teacher has a work permit.
- EBC is always being asked for teachers by language schools as early as the first week of a new course.
- All EBC graduates, EU and non-EU, are usually working within a week of finishing the course at full market rates (14 to 18 Euros per hour).
FICTION: It is very hard to find work in Spain if you are not from the European Union.
FACT: This is not true. If you take the advice of the non-experts that make these statements, you will miss out on a once in a lifetime chance to study/work in Spain.
How do we know this? EBC gets calls from many language schools in Madrid asking for teachers, EU or non-EU, and they are hired immediately and paid the same rates.
To use the USA as an example: So far, we've had 326
American students take the course in Madrid. They ALL found
work after the course, as did all the Australians, Canadians
and New Zealanders that also studied with EBC.
This is the reality of the current work situation in Madrid.
It is not easy to organize a job in Madrid before going there, even if you are already a qualified EFL teacher. Language schools have become stricter, and most now demand a quality TEFL qualification and/or some teaching experience. This is one good reason to choose EBC.
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Accommodation |
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EBC is provides a list of recommended accommodation. This service will help you get reliable accommodation without the additional cost of a middle-man.
EBC is not responsible for any aspect of any accommodation arranged using these or other services. EBC does not arrange your accommodation for you but we will offer help and advice as and when we can. All Prices are subject to change without notice. All prices shown are per night unless otherwise indicated. Please ensure that you are fully aware of all fees, deposits, payment terms etc. prior to contracting one of these services.
Click here for the accommodation list.
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Will I need a visa? |
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If you have a European Union, USA, Canadian, Australian or New Zealand passport IGNORE THIS SECTION because you DO NOT need a tourist visa to enter Spain.
If you DO NOT have a passport from a European Union country, the USA, Canada, Australia or New Zealand then please make sure that you do the following:
Before you send a deposit you must check with your nearest Spanish embassy or consulate as to exactly what you need to do in order to apply for a tourist visa to enter Spain. In order to take the course you must have a tourist visa that will allow you to stay in Spain for 5 weeks. Make sure you have your visa BEFORE you send your deposit.
If you need a letter of introduction to apply for a visa there is a non-refundable fee of 100 Euros that must be paid in advance. If you get a visa, the fee will be deducted from your course fee. If you do not get a visa, the money will NOT be refunded.
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Local currency |
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Spain's currency is known as the Euro. It's symbol is €. A great advantage of the Euro is that it is used in a lot of other European Union countries so you don't need to change money when you travel to
them. To find out your currency's current exchange rate against the Euro, please use this currency converter.
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How much money should I bring? |
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You should budget to spend between 700 Euros (spartan life) to 1,200 Euros (good life) for the period covering the 28 day course. If you want to stay and work in Madrid or the rest of Spain you should budget between 1,000 to 2,000 Euros to cover finding apartments in Madrid and living expenses until you get your first pay-check.
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What should I bring? |
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Mandatory
Laptop computers
- We provide free WIFI internet access, so you can bring your laptop and make use of our free internet access AS LONG AS your laptop is wireless B/G compatible.
- We give you the codes to connect, but you are responsible for configuring your laptop and making sure it works properly and connects.
Mobile/Cell phone
- If you have a tri-band phone - BRING IT. You will find that it is cheaper to buy a pay-as-you-go card for your phone than it is to buy a new one.
- Being contactable by phone is VERY important.
- Good local phone companies: Vodaphone, Telefonica, Orange.
Recommended items
- Non-EU nationals: A round trip air ticket or proof of travel out of Spain on a future date.
- EU nationals are covered by Spanish national health. If you are not an EU national then we HIGHLY RECOMMEND that you take out personal accident and health insurance.
- Scissors, notebook, glue, pens and pencils, paper clips, blue-tac (don't forget to put your scissors and other sharp objects in your check-in baggage);
- English-Spanish phrase book and/or dictionary;
- Presentable clothes for teaching and job interviews. Business suits are required at some client sites;
- Electrical converters. Spain operates on a 240 volt system;
- A travel alarm clock;
- Towels and Toiletries;
- Money belt;
- If you plan to stay and look for TEFL jobs you may need your birth certificate (original or a notarised copy) and Original or copies of your University or College qualifications (degree certificate or transcripts).
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New visitor advice |
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Madrid is a safe city and violent crime is rare but pick-pocketing in tourist areas is not. If you decide to take our EBC TEFL course in Madrid then please take note of the following advice:
- Don't keep your wallet in your back pocket;
- Keep your purse/hand bag closed and in front of you;
- Don't go out with all your cash and credit cards, only take what you need;
- Make photocopies of your passport and leave a copy with someone you trust back home;
- Only carry a photocopy of your passport, it is highly unlikely that you will be asked to show your id to anyone, but if you do, the photocopy will do;
- Keep your valuables in a money belt that goes under your clothing;
- Be wary of seemingly friendly individuals or small groups that approach you in touristy areas.
Non-emergency health circumstances in Spain usually do not require a visit to the doctor. Most minor ailments can be diagnosed and treated by a "Farmacia" (pharmacy/chemist). The pharmacists in Spain are trained to almost the same medical standards in respect of the diagnosis and treatment of minor ailments and conditions as doctors are. If you do contract a minor ailment or suffer a minor injury, make sure you stop by the "farmacia" first. The pharmacist will refer you to see a doctor if your situation requires more than minor treatment.
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Travel to Madrid |
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You will have to arrange your own transportation from your home country.
Traveling to Madrid to take the EBC TEFL course is easy as there are plenty of flights available from all of the world's major cities.
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Arriving in Madrid |
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Please make sure that you arrive in time to be at the training centre by 9:30 on the first Monday of the course. Please do not arrive after the course has started.
You'll land in Barajas Airport. To get to downtown Madrid you can take a taxi, an express bus or the Metro (subway/underground).
There is a free shuttle bus service between the 4 air terminals in Barajas.
Taxis
There are plenty of taxis immediately outside the arrival area in the official taxi ranks. There is a huge sign on the airport terminal wall near each taxi rank that indicates how the taxis operate and how much they cost. Official taxis are white with a red stripe on both sides. The cost of a trip downtown will be about 25 Euros. DO NOT go with people who walk up to you and offer you a taxi, they are not licensed and are not insured to take passengers.
Bus service
An airport bus runs between all the Barajas terminals and the Plaza Colón in downtown Madrid. There are several stops en route to Plaza Colon. At Colón the bus terminal is underground, beneath the main plaza, and connects with the Colón Metro station. Buses run in either direction about every 10-20 minutes between 4.45 a.m. and 1.30 a.m., daily, and the journey should take between 45 minutes and one hour, depending on the traffic. A single ticket costs about €2.50.
Metro
The Barajas Airport Metro station is situated in Terminal 2. Trains leave every 5 minutes from 6.00 a.m. to 2.00 a.m. Line 8 goes straight to the Nuevos Ministerios Metro station in the centre of Madrid. Journey time, about 12 minutes. Consider buying a 10-trip ticket, "Metrobus", costing just over 5 Euros. You can use it in the Metro and on red city buses.
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The weather |
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Quick guide
Winter - cold (0º to 10º C);
Spring - pleasant (10º to 25º C);
Summer - dry desert type heat (25º to 40º C);
Fall/Autumn - pleasant (10º to 25º C).
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Getting around central Madrid |
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Central Madrid is a great place to tour on foot, but like all capital cities it is quite large, so if you want to go further afield use public transport. The best value ticket is called the "METROBUS" which gives you 10 one way trips on either the subway/underground or public buses.
Public transport in Madrid is both clean and safe, however it shuts down around midnight (apart from a few night buses) so any travel after that is either on foot or in a taxi.
You can easily get to our TEFL course training centre by either Metro or bus.
If you are planning on staying longer you can get a monthly pass but please note that they run per calendar month i.e. from the 1st to the 31st.
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Public emergency numbers |
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Emergencies (police, medical, fire) -
112
Policia Nacional/Guardia Civil -
091
Cruz Roja (Red Cross) -
902 222 292
National phone numbers -
11818
International phone numbers -
11825
National operator -
1009
International operator -
1005 or 1008
Airport information -
902 353 570
Sur (south) bus station -
914 684 200
RENFE (Railway) -
902 240 202
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Emergency contact |
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People can make emergency calls to you or send you faxes during the course using our training centre numbers. Non-emergency calls will not be taken.
If you need to have something physically mailed to you, you may use the EBC office address. You may continue to receive mail at EBC up to a month after graduation.
There are several internet cafes in the immediate area. Madrid has loads of internet cafes for email etc.
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Your first day on the course |
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Please make sure that you arrive at the training centre at 9:30 a.m. sharp on the Monday your course starts, otherwise you will miss important pre-course details specific to the Madrid centre.
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